Humanoid

by pepper0324

In the aftermath of Glenn's death, Maggie and Tara try to make it work in the apocalyptic world around them. Together, they will face new journeys, dangers, and new beginnings when suppressed feelings are finally released. This story contains Tara GP so if you don't like it, please don't read. Note rating change.

25. A Beautiful Lie

Tara woke up a couple of hours later with Maggie still securely in her arms, sleeping peacefully. Tara knew that she would have to get up soon since Deanna would find out that Nicholas was missing from the prison cell.

After disposing of Nicholas and resting for a bit, Rick and Daryl had quickly returned to the building that held the cells. Before Alexandria was roused up by the sun, the two men staged the prison cell to make it look like Nicholas had escaped on his own.

They all knew Deanna would probably figure out what had happened. She was an intelligent woman after all, but they had been immaculate about leaving any kind of evidence behind that would specifically pin point their group. Tara knew that Deanna would need hard evidence to punish them for their crime.

Tara didn't care about the consequences for murdering Nicholas. She would do it all over again if she had to. The bastard had beat and raped her pregnant wife, letting him live was not an option. Tara didn't care if Deanna threatened to exile her, the monster was gone and that's all that mattered. Now, Maggie could begin her long healing process without being afraid of Nicholas trying to get her again.

She also knew that they needed to figure out who the third man at the party had been. Tara didn't want to take the chance of Maggie being a victim all over again. Her protectiveness over Maggie was in full swing, and Tara didn't know if she would ever feel comfortable being away from Maggie.

Their sense of security had been shattered because that prick didn't have the balls to confront Tara and Daryl himself. He instead had to take out his frustrations and anger on Maggie who had been innocent in the whole mess.

Tara took a deep breath trying to calm down, knowing her anger was starting to get the best of her. She reminded herself that Nicholas was gone now, never to hurt Maggie again. Tara wrapped her arms around Maggie tighter, wanting to guard her wife from all the evils that the world still contained.

Maggie sighed contently as she gripped Tara's shirt, the fabric between her fingers giving her a sense of solace. Maggie placed a soft kiss on the body beneath hers as she moved so that her full weight was on Tara, burrowing into the warmth that she craved.

The young couple enjoyed their few moments of peace before there was a light knock on the door. Tara felt Maggie stir a bit on her, but she remained sleeping. Tara quietly told their visitor to come in. The door opened to reveal Daryl and Carol standing in the doorway.

"Deanna wants to talk to you, me, and Rick right now. We've been summoned to a meeting," Daryl said as Tara sighed in annoyance. She knew this was coming but she didn't want to leave Maggie.

"I'll stay with her. I'll try to get her to eat something. She hasn't really had anything to eat since it happened. That's not good for the baby," Carol revealed as Tara looked at her in surprise.

Tara had been so preoccupied with getting revenge against Nicholas that she hadn't taken care of Maggie or the baby's well-being. After dealing with whatever Deanna had to say, she would make sure that Maggie stayed healthy. Tara couldn't let her wife shut down, not when the baby was still depending on both of them.

"Yeah, if not, I'll try to get her to eat when I get back," Tara said as she looked down at Maggie who was still sleeping.

"Hey, you need to take care of yourself too, Tara. I know you haven't eaten anything. Just been drinkin' scotch and whiskey," Daryl admonished Tara like a little kid.

"Alright...I'll eat a granola bar or something before I leave," Tara promised as she gently and slowly pushed Maggie off her. Maggie nuzzled into Tara's pillow, still sleeping soundly.

Carol and Daryl went downstairs so Tara could get dressed. She knelt down by Maggie's side of the bed, placing a kiss on her cheek. Tara ran her fingers through Maggie's soft hair, wondering how anyone could hurt Maggie in any way. The bruises on Maggie's face were more prominent as Tara softly grazed the dark marks.

Tara forced herself away from Maggie's side, shutting the door quietly before she went downstairs. Rick, Carol, and Daryl were in the kitchen, waiting for her.

"Here eat this," Daryl handed Tara a granola bar, insisting that she eat it.

Tara forced herself to eat the food, even though she wasn't hungry. Tara had to admit, since she found out about the rape, she had been too preoccupied with Nicholas and being by Maggie's side to take care of herself. She only took a few drinks of liquor whenever she needed to calm her nerves a bit.

"You guys ready?" Rick asked as he walked to the door, ready to get this meeting over with.

"Yeah," Daryl gave Carol a quick hug before joining Rick at the door. Tara hesitated about leaving Maggie behind.

"She'll be alright. I won't let anything happen to Maggie, I promise," Carol vowed as Tara double checked to make sure the back door was locked.

"I know you won't...I'm just afraid of leaving her behind. Be sure to lock the front door. That other guy is still loose and could come here," Tara knew Carol would do everything she could to keep Maggie secure.

"And I'll stay with Maggie later also so you can go to Noah's funeral. I know you were getting close to him," Carol told Tara who gave her an appreciative smile.

"Thanks, Carol. That really means a lot to me. And for keeping an eye on Maggie, of course," Tara walked over to the door, joining Rick and Daryl.

"You know I would do anything for Maggie," Carol hugged Tara before she walked out the door, and onto the front porch.

Tara made sure that Carol locked the door before she and her friends started walking towards Deanna's house. They were quiet for a few minutes before Rick broke the silence around them.

"We stick to the story that Nicholas escaped from his cell. Deanna doesn't have a shred of evidence to say otherwise," Rick instructed his two runners as they nodded in agreement.

"I don't care what Deanna does to me. That fucker deserved what we did to him. What he did to Maggie was unforgivable," Daryl commented as the trio continued to walk toward the Monroe house.

Tara just looked at the pavement, trying not to think about what had been done to Maggie. Although, that was all Tara had on her mind most of the time, especially after the revelation that Nicholas had dropped on her. The fact that Maggie had been calling and crying for her during the incident continued to eat at Tara. She felt like she had failed as a protector for her growing family.

She would try to distract herself from those thoughts and found liquor helped a bit, but knew it wasn't a good way to deal with what had happened to her wife. Tara knew she would have to talk to someone about it...probably Daryl or Rick.

She had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice that they had arrived at the Monroe household until Rick was knocking on the door. Spencer answered after a couple of knocks, a sad look on his face.

"My mom's in her office, waiting to talk to y'all," Spencer stepped aside to let Daryl and Rick through the door. As Tara made her way past him, he gently grabbed her arm to stop her.

"I'm sorry about what happened to Maggie. I swear...if I knew Nicholas was that kind of monster, I would have hurt him myself. Just know that even if you guys had somethin' to do with his disappearance, I support you all the way," Spencer held out his hand for a handshake which Tara accepted.

"Thanks, man. I guess bad news travels fast around here," Tara said as Spencer just shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, not everyone knows what happened to Maggie. Just a few people," Spencer replied which made Tara feel a little bit better. She knew that Maggie wouldn't want the whole town to look at her like a victim.

Tara wondered how Spencer would react when he found out that his older brother, Aiden, had been a monster just like Nicholas, and had tormented many women in Alexandria. She gave the youngest Monroe a small smile as she made her way to Deanna's office where everyone was waiting for her.

Tara closed the door behind her as she looked around the room. Deanna was standing by the window, looking out at her seemingly perfect community. Tara joined Rick and Daryl who were by the bookcase, waiting for Deanna to start talking. There were a few tense seconds of silence that filled the air.

"I assume you all know why you are here," Deanna gave the three friends in front of her a stern look.

"We don't know what you're talking about. Michonne came and woke me up when she discovered that Nicholas was missing. All the evidence points to a prison break. Maybe someone helped him...I don't know," Rick explained as Deanna saw right through his facade. She marched up to the trio, pointing her finger at Rick.

"No. What I think happened is that your group decided to forgo the whole justice process and take matters into your own hands. You just can't do whatever you want here. There are rules that apply to everyone, including you," Deanna glared at her three visitors, not exactly sure what to do with them.

"Doesn't matter what happened. That man was a rapist. Whatever happened to him, he deserved. Fuck your justice system. With people like that, they don't get no justice," Daryl added his two cents becoming more angry as the seconds went by.

"Plus, if you had exiled him, Nicholas could have brought bad people here to attack this place. And God knows this place isn't ready for an enemy attack. Sometimes, executing someone is the only way the situation can be handled so everyone is safe," Rick commented as Deanna glanced at the determined faces around her.

"What about you, Tara? Have anything to say for yourself?" Deanna gave her a stern look.

"I don't have anything to say. Just glad he's gone. Alexandria is a bit safer now," Tara simply said as Deanna marched over to the window.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with y'all. This is not your place to take over and run. We don't need y'all destroying the peaceful community we have worked so hard to create. I sympathize with Maggie...I really do. It's a horrible crime, but you just can't go around dealing out your own justice," Deanna lectured as Tara just shook her head.

"Peaceful community? Are you kidding? There are skeletons in closets all over this place! Horrible crimes taking place within these walls that you didn't know about. Hell, a monster was under your roof and you were none the wiser!" Tara tried to keep her voice down, but she was growing irritated with how Deanna kept portraying Alexandria as flawless.

"What are you talking about?" Deanna asked completely taken back by these new allegations.

"Aiden! He assaulted Maggie at the party a few nights ago. Nicholas and some other guy were there also. They didn't get a chance to do anything to her there, but they threatened her," Tara claimed as Deanna sat down in her office chair, shocked.

The older woman wasn't sure what to think about those accusations. Deanna remembered how unsettled Maggie had been in the kitchen. She knew the young woman wouldn't lie about something serious like that. She also realized that Tara wasn't done with the list of crimes that her beloved son had allegedly committed.

"According to Nicholas, he and Aiden participated in about 15-20 sexual assaults. I don't know if there are any victims willing to talk about their rape, but Nicole told me that they both raped her the first night she was here. Who knows how many victims there really are? They're probably just afraid to come forward because they know one of the perpetrators was their leader's son," Tara watched as Deanna put her face in her hands. Silence filled the room as everyone waited for Deanna to say something.

"I've always known that Aiden was different. He really never had empathy for others but I never thought he be would be dangerous and actually hurt people. You all are free to go. Y'all are right...two very menacing people are gone. If you find anyone who was a victim and wants to talk, please send them my way," Deanna sighed sadly as she realized just how much damage her son had caused. She didn't want to fight Rick or his group on this matter anymore.

"There's still another guy out there that we need to take care of," Daryl reminded Deanna who looked up at the group.

"Talk to Maggie. See what she remembers about him. When you find him, don't kill him. We don't have any proof that he raped or hurt anyone until witnesses come forward. In Maggie's case, it sounds like he was an onlooker. Not cause for execution. Understood?" Deanna told the three friends in front of her in a firm voice.

"We understand," Rick wasn't sure he liked the idea of not killing this third guy but Deanna had made some valid points. They would at least give the perpetrator an ass kicking before they delivered him to Deanna. And if he turned out to be a rapist, they would kill him with no regrets.

"I'll see y'all at the funerals later. But please, don't let this get out to the community about Aiden. At least not until his father and brother have grieved for a couple of days," Deanna said as she walked the trio to the front door.

"Try to have a good day and stay out of trouble," Deanna promptly closed the door behind them.

Rick, Daryl, and Tara stood on the porch for a few seconds, deciding what to do about the mystery man and where to start.

"We have a couple of hours until the funerals. Let's just relax, get some rest, and then afterwards, we'll hit the ground runnin' to find this other bastard," Rick suggested as Tara and Daryl nodded in agreement to his plan.

"Tara, I need you to talk to Maggie. See if she can remember what the guy looked liked. Any distinguishing characteristics. I think she'll only really talk to you. Hopefully, she can point us in the right direction," Rick added, knowing that Maggie was only comfortable with Tara right now.

The trio agreed to the plan before they went their separate ways. Rick was going on a patrol around the neighborhood and to talk to Michonne about figuring out who the third man had been. Daryl decided to go out into the woods for a bit to clear his head while Tara headed back to the house to be with Maggie.

Tara walked back to the house with her hands in her pockets, shoulders down. She wondered if Maggie would even want to talk about what happened at the party. Tara didn't want to do anything that would bring back bad memories for Maggie but they needed the information. They had little else to go on and a potentially dangerous man on the loose was a major threat to the community. Tara could only hope that she wouldn't traumatize Maggie any further.

---

Tara made her way into the house after unlocking the door. As she was walking into the living room, Carol was halfway down the stairs with a knife in her hand. Carol immediately relaxed and put up her weapon as Tara gave her an amused smile.

"I surrender," Tara softly grinned, raising her arms in the air as Carol let out a little laugh.

"Don't make fun, Tara. I'm sure I could beat your ass if I wanted to," Carol joked.

"Yeah, I'm sure you could. That's why I'll never get on your bad side," Tara said while she gave Carol a hug. They quickly became serious as they made their way up the stairs.

"How's she doing? Did she eat much?" Tara asked as they stopped momentarily in front of the door. She was concerned not only about Maggie's health but also the baby's.

"She took a few bites of a sandwich I made but not much. Maggie is just kinda numb which is to be expected. She didn't talk much...just slept mostly," Carol informed Tara on how Maggie had been acting that morning.

Tara sighed. She really hated seeing Maggie so broken, especially when she knew how strong-willed Maggie was. Tara could only hope that they could somehow get past all this and Maggie could rebuild her self-confidence.

"Thank you for staying with her. I don't want her by herself for at least a couple of weeks or until we catch the other fucker," Tara tried to calm down as she felt herself get angry at the mention of the unknown suspect.

"We'll get him and make sure that he doesn't hurt Maggie or anyone else," Carol could see the anguish in Tara's eyes. She pulled Tara in for another hug before she continued.

"Right now though, just spend some time with Maggie. She only feels completely safe when you're around. You're the only one who can bring her out of this. I've seen you do it before after what happened to Beth and Glenn. She needs you," Carol gave Tara a little pep talk before she leaned over, giving Tara a kiss on the forehead.

Tara smiled briefly at Carol before she opened the door to her room. She spotted Maggie on the bed, turned away, blanket wrapped securely around her. Tara gently closed the door, barely making a sound as she made her away around the room.

Maggie opened her eyes knowing that Carol was gone but someone else was in the room with her. She felt her heart start to race for a few seconds as panic set in. There could be anyone in that room with her, even someone trying to hurt her again. Maggie felt the beginnings of an anxiety attack as it became harder to breath and her heart beat frantically.

Maggie sat up in the bed in a full panic. Sweat starting to drip down her forehead as her adrenaline kicked into high gear. Tara immediately rushed to her side, sitting down on the bed next to Maggie.

"Hey baby, it's alright. It's just me...it's Tara. It's just me..." Tara whispered softly to Maggie who was trembling in her arms.

"I'm sorry..." Maggie sobbed as the ability to breath slowly started to become easier.

"You have nothing to apologize for, sweetie. Just relax. Take deep breaths," Tara gently coaxed Maggie into calming down.

Finally, after a few intense minutes, Maggie was finally able to relax. She kept sobbing silently to herself, turning away from Tara. Maggie felt so ashamed of how she was reacting to the slightest actions from other people. The rape was still fresh in her mind though. Every time she closed her eyes, it replayed in her head over and over, horrible memories that would not be forgotten.

"I'm sorry I'm such an emotional mess. I'm just so scared sometimes. Maybe you should just leave. I'm givin' you an out, Tara. Who knows when I'll be normal again. Who knows when I'll be ready to have sex again and I know that's important to you. Maybe you should just go..." Maggie cried as she buried her head in the pillow. She knew how hard this was on Tara and was prepared to let her go if things got too complicated.

Tara was silent for a few seconds before she lightly started to stroke Maggie's side, making sure she wasn't overstepping any boundaries.

"Maggie, sweetie, you know I love you more than anything. I will do whatever I can to make sure that you're safe and feel loved. I know you're scared and that's normal. And I know it'll be a long time until you're ready for a lot of things but it's alright, baby. I will do whatever I can to help you get through this. I will never leave you or our child...I promise. I love you so much. You're my soulmate and soulmates never die," Tara leaned over and kissed Maggie on the cheek, feeling her shiver slightly under her touch.

Tara moved to the other side of the bed, resting her head on the pillow. She closed her eyes, deciding to try to get a quick nap until the funerals started in a couple of hours. Tara could hear Maggie crying softly to herself. She wanted nothing more than to comfort her traumatized wife, but knew she had to wait until Maggie was comfortable and made the first move.

A few minutes later, Tara felt movement in the bed as Maggie cuddled into her side. Maggie rested her head on Tara's chest, feeling Tara's arms wrap securely around her.

"How long do you have until you have to leave?" Maggie asked quietly. She didn't want Tara to take off but she knew that Tara had Noah's funeral to attend and some other things to take care of.

"I've got a couple of hours until I need to head out. I need to talk to you about a few things though. Some of it might be hard to open up about," Tara said as she felt Maggie's body stiffen a bit beside her.

"Hey...if you ever feel uncomfortable just let me know and I will ease up," Tara promised, not wanting to scare Maggie in any way. She had already been traumatized enough over the past couple of days.

"What do you want to know?" Maggie asked quietly, her fingers gripping Tara's shirt.

"The night of the party, you said that Nick, Aiden, and another guy cornered you in the kitchen. Do you remember what he looked like? Hair color? Height? Anything like that?" Tara gently asked as Maggie thought it over.

"I don't really remember much about him. He didn't really talk much, and I mostly remember Aiden rubbin' up against up me," Maggie sighed as she felt more tears escape her eyes.

"Come on, Maggie. Anything can help us find this bastard so I can handle him, and make sure he doesn't hurt you or anyone else. So just think...anything can help. Even the littlest details," Tara softly prodded Maggie for any kind of information.

Maggie was quiet for a few minutes as she tried to remember the mystery man from that night. She knew she needed to be as helpful as she could possibly be. Maggie realized she wouldn't feel completely safe until Tara dealt with whoever had been part of Aiden's sick group.

"He was white with black or dark brown hair, cut kinda short, I think. He was about 5'8" or 5'9", and maybe had blue or green eyes. He was around our age," Maggie recalled the man who had been there that night.

"Ok...that's a good start. Anything else you can remember?" Tara asked gently, taking Maggie's hand into her own. She knew that this was hard on Maggie, and just wanted to be supportive in any way she could.

"I can't think of anything else. Most of my attention was on Aiden and Nicholas. I'm sorry," Maggie apologized, feeling like she had failed Tara and their whole family by not remembering more.

Maggie couldn't stop the tears that started to fall. She hated feeling so weak and dependent on someone else, but right now all she needed and wanted was Tara. There was no one else who could comfort and make her safe like Tara could.

"Hey...it's alright, babe. You did great. You gave me some good information. Let's get some rest until it's time for me to head out," Tara laid back against the bed, gently pulling Maggie along with her.

Maggie snuggled up into Tara, listening to her heartbeat which brought a sense of calm. Maggie placed a soft kiss on Tara before closing her eyes to sleep.

Tara stayed up until she felt Maggie fall asleep, her breathing slow and relaxed. Tara sighed as she saw the bruises that still marked Maggie's face, wondering what Maggie had been through that horrible night. She slowly let her hand wander to Maggie's stomach, hoping that their baby was alright. Tara kept a protective watch over Maggie until she fell into a slumber.

An hour and a half later, a quiet knock roused Tara up from her sleep. She realized that her and Maggie had moved positions so now they were spooning with her holding Maggie close. Tara also realized that there was a very noticeable tent in her pants from the slight friction against Maggie's body.

She immediately got up from the bed before Maggie could feel her erection. Tara definitely didn't want to make Maggie uncomfortable in any way, knowing that she wasn't ready for anything sexual. There was another knock as Tara immediately walked to the door before the noise could wake up her sleeping wife.

Tara opened the door, finding Daryl on the other side. Daryl looked at her before letting his eyes wander to the tent in her pants.

"Wow...when I said be up and ready, I didn't mean that way," Daryl couldn't help but snicker as Tara tried to cover up with a spare pillow.

Carol came into view, ready to stay with Maggie while Tara was gone. She caught a peek of what Tara was trying to hide and couldn't help but giggle.

"Well, I didn't think you would be that excited to see me," Carol joked as Daryl let out a quiet laugh.

"You guys suck," Tara couldn't hide the smile that was on her face. She was happy to be able to laugh for once. The past couple of days had been nothing but stressful and depressing for everyone. They all let out a few soft laughs before they got serious.

"How is she?" Carol asked as they all turned to look at Maggie, who was still in a deep sleep.

"She gave me some information about the third guy but not much to go on. We'll have to figure out another way to find out who that bastard is," Tara told her friends as she still tried to stay covered up.

"We'll find that fucker, and make sure he pays. Right now though, we need to say goodbye to Noah," Daryl said as sadness filled the room at the mention of the young man's name.

Tara tossed the pillow aside since her body was calm now. She quickly gave Maggie a kiss on the cheek before hugging Carol goodbye. Daryl and Tara made their way out of the house and walked slowly to where the makeshift graveyard had been set up in the town.

Rick and other family members were already there as they joined their small group that was set away from Alexandria residents. The townspeople looked wary of the newcomers, knowing that problems had been arising between Rick's group and Deanna.

Tara saw Pete, the surgeon, who Rick still wanted to take out. Pete had his arm around his wife, Jessie, who kept trying to avert her gaze from Rick. Tara could tell that something was going on between the married couple. She hoped that Pete wouldn't hurt Jessie before they could handle him. Tara was all for making sure that this town was clear of all the scumbags who still resided there, no matter what Deanna said.

Father Gabriel said a few comforting words before he stepped aside to let Deanna speak. Deanna looked at the small crowd, knowing that a lot of the townspeople were uneasy about the new direction Alexandria was going in.

"Today, we mourn two of our own. I know these last few days have been hard but together we will prosper and see that Alexandria is brought to its full potential. If anyone needs to talk, my door is always open. Thank you all for coming out today," Deanna gave a little pep talk before people started giving their condolences for her loss.

Nicole made her way to Tara, wanting to give her some kind of comfort. She smiled as Tara turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry about Noah. He was a great kid and funny whenever I talked to him," Nicole gave her sympathy as she leaned in for a hug.

"Thanks. I'm really gonna miss him," Tara replied as she looked around the crowd. She spotted Holly, the girl Noah had a crush on, crying softly to herself.

"How's Maggie? Do you need me to check up on her?" Nicole asked.

"She's coping. Or trying to. Actually, do you guys have any prenatal vitamins? She's not really eating much and I want to make sure the baby gets some kind of nutrients," Tara let Nicole know what was going on.

"Yeah, I can bring some over. I can try to talk to her if you want. We've been through the same experience," Nicole suggested. She really just wanted to help Maggie out, knowing how hard it was to get your life back on track after something that traumatic.

"Maggie's not ready to talk yet. Hopefully, she will be soon though. But please bring those vitamins over later. I won't be home but Carol will be there," Tara saw that Rick and Daryl were walking towards her, ready to hit the ground running.

"Ok, I'll bring them by. Good luck with finding that third guy," Nicole gave Tara another hug before heading back to the infirmary to get the pills.

Daryl and Rick watched Nicole walk away, both of them briefly wondering if they should be worried about her budding friendship with Tara.

"What did Maggie say? Any useful information?" Rick asked as he glared at Pete who walked by him with Jessie in tow.

"She described what he looked like. About 25-30 years old. White. Short black or dark brown hair. About 5'8" or 5'9" and blue or green eyes," Tara listed the qualities that Maggie had described.

Daryl sighed. "That's 'bout half the damn male population here."

"Let's go check out Nick's house and Aiden's room. See if maybe there might be somethin' to narrow this suspect pool down. Maybe they wrote something or whatnot. It's a long shot for sure, but it'll make good police work," Rick suggested as the other two agreed.

"Ready to be a cop again?" Daryl laughed, clapping Tara on the back a few times.

"To catch this fucker? Hell yeah," Tara said as they decided to start at Nicholas' house. The trio made their way to the home, unaware that they were being watched from afar.

A man fitting the description that Maggie had given stood on the porch of his home, watching the friends make their way to Nick's house. He knew they were looking for him and he definitely couldn't have that. Rick's group had no idea that their mystery man was more dangerous than Aiden and Nicholas combined.

---

Roger Stevens, as he was known in Alexandria, made his way inside his home, locking the door behind him. He knew it was only a matter of time before Rick's group came knocking on his door. So Roger had to do whatever he could to make sure his true identity never came out. If the Grimes' group found out who he really was, they would kill him on the spot.

Roger Stevens was actually Roger M. Kronin, a budding serial killer who had been arrested before his victim count could surpass four. Before the apocalypse, Roger's claim to fame was being an accountant who tortured, raped, and murdered young women in Augusta, Georgia. He was good at what he did, not leaving a shred of evidence behind. Roger strived to be the next Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer.

The only reason Roger had been caught was that he had foolishly let his last victim go after she pleaded for her life. Of course, the bitch had ran to the police, who arrested him about a week later. A trial ensued with little fanfare since most of his victims were prostitutes and runaways...society's trash. Roger learned from that incident that no future victims would ever be left alive.

Roger was prepared to spend the rest of his life in prison until the apocalypse hit and destroyed humanity. He was able to easily escape from prison, and set off on his own, trying to survive. Of course, the urge to kill never left him. Roger tried to surpass the rage building up within him, since there were no victims in sight. After a couple of weeks, Roger finally found a woman traveling on her own.

Roger had been able to get the woman to trust him with his charming ways and good looks. She immediately trusted him and thought they would form a group together. Of course, Roger had different ideas and plans for her. He quickly took the woman, whose name has been Sally, to a secluded cabin where he proceeded to brutally torture and rape her. After the thrill was gone, Roger killed Sally by his favorite method, strangulation.

A couple of years after escaping prison, Roger stumbled upon Alexandria. He couldn't believe his luck, a place with a steady supply of victims for his disgusting urges. He was afraid that Deanna would recognize him from the news but instantly relaxed when he realized that she was a Congresswoman from Ohio, and had no clue who he truly was. Roger was able to easily charm her with his likable personality.

He was given a job on the construction crew that stayed inside the walls, designing and creating new buildings. After a couple of days, Roger ran into Aiden and Nicholas, and knew immediately that they had something in common with him. They had the feeling also since they invited Roger over to Nick's house for a few beers one night.

While at the house, the three drunk men soon started to confess their sins to one another. Aiden and Nick thought they had the upper hand when they revealed all the sexual assaults they had committed in Alexandria together. Roger had simply scoffed and called them amateurs.

Roger had Aiden and Nicholas' full attention as he told them about his history. He also relived a couple of his favorite kills, noticing how excited the other men seemed at the prospect of killing a young woman. The trio decided to participate together in a murder when they found the right victim.

A couple of weeks later, Roger found the perfect prey. A young woman who had no family ties or many friends in the town. Her name was Stacy and she had just arrived to Alexandria by herself after running into Aaron. Roger was positive that if she turned up missing, no one would notice. If someone did, they would think that Stacy left on her own.

So on a cold, rainy night, Aiden, Nicholas, and Roger broke into the young woman's house, kidnapping her and carefully taking her to an empty house in the desolate part of town. The friends made sure that no one saw them as they took the poor woman into the basement.

There all three of them viciously raped the girl, making it so that no one could hear her cries. When it came to the torture and killing though, Aiden and Nicholas had chickened out, saying they couldn't go that far. They believed that threatening their victims had worked for them so far and they had no intentions of killing anyone.

Roger knew better though. He had learned the hard way that leaving living witnesses was a huge risk. One that he definitely wouldn't take. So Roger continued with the torture and strangulation as the others looked away apprehensively. Finally, the woman was dead as they made plans to get rid of the body.

The three men took the body to the back wall where no one was on patrol. They quickly tossed the rigid body over the wall before climbing over themselves. Quietly, they buried the body in a sloppy, makeshift grave. They were absolutely positive that no one would ever find the body.

No one in the town suspected they were the cause of the young woman's disappearance. Most of the townspeople thought she had taken off on her own. Plus, nobody in town really knew who Roger was since he kept mostly to himself so his name never came up.

So Aiden, Nicholas, and Roger formed a dangerous trio who encouraged each other to be more violent with each victim they encountered. Roger hadn't killed since Stacy but he willingly participated in a few rapes, always wearing a mask so no one would be able to identify him. Life had been good for the gang within the walls of Alexandria, no victims ever came forward and more seemed to come through the gates.

Now his trio was gone and he was the only one left. Roger knew that it had been foolish to go after a woman in Rick's group, but Aiden and Nicholas had let their personal feelings get in the way of business. They targeted Maggie specifically because Aiden had been upset about the fight he had with Tara after their first supply run.

At the party, the plan had been to get Maggie out of the Monroe house through the back door and do whatever they pleased with her. Of course, Spencer ended up ruining their plan by loudly calling for Aiden, and bringing unnecessary attention. So they quickly scraped the plan and decided to get her later.

Of course, Aiden died on a later supply run. That should have been the end of the story for Roger but no. Nicholas had to stupidly attack Maggie in a fit of rage, and get himself killed. Roger knew that Tara and her group had gotten their revenge against Nick, and it was only a matter of time before they came to deal with him.

Roger knew Maggie had told the others about the party now that Aiden and Nick were both gone. He also knew that Maggie would recognize him as soon as she saw him, and he couldn't have that. Roger sat down on his couch as he tried to think of a perfect plan that would get him Maggie.

He knew this would be a high risk operation. Many of the townspeople knew who Maggie was since she was Deanna's govern assistant. So they would immediately take notice of Maggie being with him and in turn recognize him if questioned later. Roger cursed Aiden and Nicholas for putting him in this situation. They just couldn't keep their own goddamn vendettas out of the hunting game.

Suddenly, Roger thought of the perfect plan to get rid of the only witness who could identify him. He might have to leave town for a few days but he could return after he changed his appearance some, and then he could keep doing what he did best - hunt women. Roger knew the only sure way to keep from getting himself killed was to stop murdering but the need was encrypted in his blood. He couldn't stop, no matter what. The only way he would stop was by being caught or death.

The rush Roger felt when he had his hands around some helpless woman's neck was like nothing he had ever experienced. The feeling was better than sex or any drug induced high, and Roger was addicted to the euphoria. He would kill and swear that would be the last one until that familiar tick would invade his body and he couldn't function. Suddenly, fantasies and reliving the acts wasn't enough anymore. Roger could feel that tick in his flesh at that very moment, and knew the need would soon consume him.

Roger sat on his sofa and carefully thought about his plan. He knew Rick's group would be hard to fool and that they were on high alert, but he was sure that he could do what he needed to do. By the time they figured out that Maggie was gone, Roger would be out of Alexandria and out of the grasp of justice. Roger smiled to himself as he came up with the steps he needed to take and the supplies he would need to gather up as soon as possible. Roger planned to strike the next day, and everything needed to be immaculate and ready.

---

Tara, Daryl, and Rick looked through Nicholas' room, pulling out drawers and looking for anything that could pinpoint where their unknown suspect was. So far, they hadn't found anything useful.

Daryl turned over the mattress to find a small pistol and hunting knife hidden. He was glad that those hadn't been used in the attack against Maggie, he could only imagine the outcome.

"Doesn't seem like there's anythin' here. I mean, we looked through all the drawers in this house. Looked through every room, and nothin'," Daryl sighed with discouragement.

Rick was looking through the closet, knocking around on the walls when one section sounded hollow.

"Hold on. Maybe it's not hopeless after all," Rick opened the small section of the wall to reveal a box, hidden. He pulled out the cardboard box that was taped up really well.

Rick pulled out his knife, stabbing the box to open it. He immediately grimaced when he discovered what the box contained. Apparently, Nicholas liked to keep trophies from his forced encounters. Rick dropped the box on the floor which was full of Nicholas' victim's underwear.

Daryl and Tara peered at the box with disgust. There had to be over thirty pairs in that box, which meant that there were a whole bunch of unknown victims in town.

"That fuckin' sick bastard," Tara muttered as she turned away in revulsion. She wondered briefly if Maggie's was in that collection before pushing the thought from her mind.

"At least we took care of that damn motherfucker," Daryl simply said as they remained silent for a few minutes.

"Well, there's nothin' here. Let's go check out Aiden's room. See if we can find somethin' there," Rick announced before they started to head out the door.

"What 'bout that box?" Daryl asked. He knew they needed to get rid of it to spare the victims even more humiliation.

"I'll come back later and burn it in the fireplace. No need for anyone else to see what that sick bastard saved," Rick put the box back in the closet.

After locking the house, the friends walked to Deanna's house to inspect Aiden's room. Tara knocked on the door which was opened by Spencer. He had a distraught look on his face. Tara guessed that Deanna had broken the news to him about what his brother had been up to.

"I'm sorry...my brother was such a monster. I wanna help you guys catch this other bastard. It's the least I can do," Spencer almost pleaded to the group in front of him.

"You can help us take a look around in his room, and see if there's anythin' that will point to the third suspect. We need to get him off the streets as soon as possible," Rick informed the younger Monroe.

"Yeah, come on. His room is up here," Spencer began to lead them up the stairs to Aiden's bedroom.

"My mom already knows that y'all were coming over. She said tear the room apart if you have to," Spencer said as he opened up the door.

They all walked into the bedroom that was very neat and tidy. Nothing was out of place and there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere.

"Wow...what a neat freak," Daryl commented as he looked around the room.

"Yeah. Aiden was always the neater one of us two," Spencer said as he started to pull out drawers. The others took his lead as they started to turn the room inside out.

Tara looked through the closet, finding nothing of interest. She knocked on the walls, listening for any hollow sections. She didn't find any before she started to go through some of the dresser drawers.

All four of them ransacked the room until almost everything had been over turned and searched through. Daryl lifted the mattress off the bed frame, revealing a small journal. Rick quickly grabbed it as he opened the book and started reading the sloppy handwriting.

"Looks like Aiden wrote about some of his crimes. He also says that there were two other men workin' with him and that they were like a pack looking for prey. Some sick shit in here. Maybe there's somethin' to help us though," Rick flipped through the pages of the journal.

Tara glanced at her watch and saw that it was almost dinner time. She had been away from Maggie way longer than she had intended to be.

"Let's look over the book at home. I need to get back to Maggie already," Tara said as the rest of her friends agreed.

They left the room, following Spencer down the stairs and to the front door.

The Monroe boy turned and looked at Rick's group, still feeling guilty about the reign of terror his older brother had caused.

"I'm sorry about everythin' my brother did. I'm sorry about what happened to Maggie. If there's anything I can do to help...please let me know. I just don't want y'all to think I'm a bad person cuz of Aiden," Spencer had his shoulders down as he apologized.

Tara knew that this was killing the young man so she placed her hand on his arm.

"Hey, this isn't your fault. This is your brother's doing, not yours. So don't feel guilty, I know you're a great guy. I've known since I've met you," Tara tried to comfort Spencer who gave her a small smile.

"Thanks Tara," Spencer still felt horrible but it felt nice to know that Tara didn't blame him in any way.

Rick, Daryl, and Tara stood on the front porch after Spencer had bid them goodbye. Rick glanced out into the peaceful community that had absolutely no idea what monsters lurked within the walls.

"I'm gonna go burn that box. You two head on home, and we'll go over the journal after dinner," Rick said as he made his way down the steps.

"Alright...be careful," Daryl called to Rick as their friend waved to them.

Tara and Daryl strolled down the streets, waving causally at people who greeted them. Tara had a bad feeling within her, like something horrible was about to happen. She hoped they would find clues to who their unknown suspect was before anything happened. Tara had a feeling she would be meeting this mystery man soon.

---

Tara and Daryl arrived home a few minutes later. Everyone was in the kitchen except Maggie, who was still in the bedroom. Carl was holding Judith while Carol was busy with Rosita making dinner. Sasha and Abraham were sitting at the counter watching the happenings in the kitchen. Michonne took Judith from Carl and handed the baby to Tara.

"It's your turn for baby duty," Michonne smiled as Tara held Judith close.

Tara grinned as she rocked Judith back and forth. "Were you a good baby today? Or were you a little menace?"

"How's Maggie?" Tara asked Carol as Judith grabbed the fabric of her shirt.

"Nothin' has changed much. She keeps mostly to herself. Although, Nicole did come by with those prenatal vitamins which is good cuz Maggie didn't eat much. She barely wanted to take the pill until I reminded her that it was for the baby," Carol replied as Tara just sighed.

Tara wondered how she could keep Maggie from shutting down further. She knew that Maggie would need a lot of time to deal with what had happened, but they also needed to keep their baby healthy.

She held Judith for a few more minutes before handing the baby to Sasha. Carol handed Tara a baggie full of granola bars, pop tarts, and chocolate.

"Try to get Maggie to eat something," Carol was worried about the pregnant woman's health.

Tara took the baggie full of goodies and went up the stairs to her bedroom. She quietly opened the door, her heart dropping when she saw that Maggie was still in bed, crying softly to herself. Tara set the food on the dresser before she rushed to Maggie's side.

Tara put her arms around Maggie, who immediately scrambled into her lap, crying into her plaid shirt. Tara tried to soothe Maggie, rocking her body back and forth gently, holding her tight.

"I'm sorry...I just had a bad dream and all these memories that I tried to forget from that night came rushin' back to me," Maggie sobbed as she held onto Tara, not wanting to let go.

"Shhh...it's ok, baby. I'm here with you. I won't ever let anyone hurt you," Tara promised as Maggie quietly cried, making a spot on her shirt wet.

"I think I'm ready to talk about what happened. I think I might be able to handle this better if I open up about it," Maggie told Tara before she lost her nerve, and decided to keep it to herself indefinitely.

"You want to talk to me or someone else?" Tara wanted to make sure that Maggie was comfortable when she talked about her attack.

"I wanna tell you, Tara. I only trust you with this," Maggie sighed as she rested her head on Tara's shoulder.

"Alright, babe. If it gets to be too much, you can always stop. Just know that you're so strong for doing this," Tara leaned down to place a kiss on Maggie's hair, smelling the sweet scent of lavender.

Tara leaned backwards so that her back was against the headboard with Maggie's weight completely on her body. She didn't know if she was emotionally prepared for what Maggie had to say but Tara knew she needed to be strong.

There were a few minutes of silence before Maggie let out a sad sigh and began to tell Tara about the incident that had changed their lives forever.

"I was in the hospital room waitin' for you to wake up. I had been there for a couple of hours when Carol suggested I go home to get somethin' to eat and get some much needed rest. Y'all know how this pregnancy makes me so tired," Maggie let herself smile as she let her hand wander to her stomach.

"So I decided to head back to the house since I really needed a short nap. I walked there and everythin' seemed normal. I knew you were gonna wake up in a couple of hours, and I couldn't wait for that cuz I missed you so much.

The house was quiet and dark when I got home, but everybody was at the infirmary so I didn't think much of it. I walked into the living room and I knew somethin' wasn't right. I was gonna try to get out of there, but suddenly, I backed up into someone. Before I knew it, they had hit me on the head with somethin' hard.

I fell to the ground, a bit disorientated. When I looked up, I saw that Nicholas was standin' over me. He was rantin' about how you and Daryl were the cause of all his problems, and how everythin' would be revealed. I could see the evil and hate in his eyes...I knew immediately what his intentions were," Maggie could feel the tears start to fall again as the difficult part came closer. She felt Tara's hands stroking her back and side, encouraging her to continue.

"Nicholas unzipped his pants while I begged him to please just leave me alone. I told him that someone could come home in any minute, but that didn't dissuade him. He said he wanted to get his revenge against you and our group. And how he was gonna finish what Aiden had started.

He lowered himself onto me, but I tried to crawl away. That's when he started to hit me so I would cooperate. I scratched him on his arms and on his face, and I hit him back. I really tried to fight back, and call for help. When I did that, he slapped my face a few times.

Nicholas just kept hittin' me all over, he wouldn't stop. When I realized, that he was going to punch me in the stomach, I knew I needed to protect our baby. So I told him I was pregnant and to hit me anywhere but my stomach. He told me to stay still and let him do what he wanted, or he would make sure that I had a painful miscarriage. I was so scared..." Maggie sobbed into Tara's chest, the emotions from that terrifying night came rushing back to her, making the memories replay so clearly in her head.

Tara remained silent during Maggie's story. She could feel a stray tear sliding down her cheek which she quickly wiped away. Tara couldn't imagine what Maggie had been feeling that night. She could feel her body tremble from a combination of anger and sadness, trying hard to keep her own tears at bay.

Maggie knew that this was hard for Tara to listen to. She placed a kiss on Tara's neck before continuing with her story.

"Nicholas pulled down my jeans and I thought he was gonna rape me right then, but then he demanded a blow job. I told him I would never do that...he then called me a slut and said that I was goin' to like what he was goin' to do to me.

He pulled out a condom and put it on. He smacked me a few more times before he penetrated me. I tried to get him off of me, but he was too strong. Nick told me to shut the fuck up and stop cryin'...that I should be enjoyin' this. But I cried and cried, I closed my eyes and tried to shut out what was happenin', but it hurt too much. He was so brutal, and I couldn't stop him.

I tried to cry out for help and I even...I even called for you, Tara. I called so loud for you to come save me even though I knew you were passed out in that hospital bed. I guess a little part of me hoped you would walk through the door and stop the assault.

It seemed like it lasted for hours, but it was over after a few minutes. Nicholas told me I was lucky that he was in a hurry cuz otherwise, he would have raped me over and over. He finally pulled out and yanked his jeans up. Told me that if I said anything, then he would come back and do it again, and kill me," Maggie paused as she wiped some tears away from her eyes, sniffing as the sobs continued.

Tara gripped Maggie's frail body harder, trying her damnedest to keep her own emotions in check. Hearing Maggie's own words on what had happened was literally tearing her apart inside. Maggie wasn't done yet as she told the rest of her story.

"Nicholas then called me a slut and laughed. I felt so humiliated and dirty.

Finally, he turned to leave and told me to not get up for ten minutes or else. I closed my eyes and heard his footsteps walk through the living room and out the door. I just laid there, half naked on the floor, shivering. I wanted to put my jeans on but my body was in so much pain.

I then realized that he took my panties with him, and I just felt even more degraded. I knew I had to get up because I knew Carol would come lookin' for me, and I didn't want her to see me like that. I couldn't get up though so I tried to cover up with my jeans and just cried. I was so afraid that he would come back; I just wanted you there.

Then the door opened, and I panicked because I thought it was Nicholas coming back for more, but it was Rosita and Carol. And well...you know the rest. I just felt so ashamed about everything, like I could have done more to stop it. I felt so used...sometimes I still feel like that.

I feel like you deserve better than someone who has been violated. I'm scared that I've been ruined by this...that I'll always be a victim in your eyes. I know I'll never be the same after this, but maybe you deserve someone not so broken," Maggie cried as she desperately held onto Tara, not believing the words that were coming out of her mouth. She knew Tara loved her but Tara hadn't signed on for something like this.

Tara pulled Maggie up so that they made eye contact, wiping away the tears that cascaded down Maggie's face. Tara leaned over, placing her lips softly on Maggie's, tasting her tears. She couldn't believe that Maggie thought so low of herself, especially when Tara thought the world of Maggie.

"Don't say stuff like that, Maggie. You aren't ruined, I promise. You're so strong and brave for telling me what happened. You're a survivor, baby. You did what you needed to survive and you protected the baby. Don't put yourself down. Remember when we got married, I promised to be by your side through everything. For better and for worse...we'll get through this, I promise," Tara watched as Maggie cried even harder.

Tara hugged Maggie close to her body, thinking about everything that Maggie had revealed to her. Tara couldn't keep the tears back anymore as she let them fall. The thought of Maggie being hurt so badly was just too much for Tara to bear. Maggie meant the world to her, and for her precious wife to be so brutally violated killed Tara on the inside.

Tara thought about how Maggie had cried for her during the attack. That is what killed her the most...that she wasn't there when Maggie desperately needed her.

The young couple held onto each other as they cried silently together. Tara knew that their long healing process had just begun but she vowed to be by Maggie's side every step of the way. Nothing could ever keep her away from Maggie or their baby.

About an hour later, Maggie began to fall asleep against Tara, feeling at peace for the first time in days. Tara knew that Maggie needed her rest, but she needed her to eat a little first.

"Hey baby, I know you want to sleep but I need you to eat something, please," Tara gently shook Maggie awake.

"I don't feel like it," Maggie complained as she tried to go back to sleep.

"I know, babe. But you need to eat something. Not eating is not healthy for the baby. You want Elizabeth to be healthy, don't you?" Tara asked as Maggie thought about the well-being of their child.

"Alright...I'll eat something real quick for the baby. Then I'm goin' to sleep," Maggie sat up while Tara jumped out of bed and grabbed a couple of granola bars and a bottle of water.

"Here eat this real quick and then you can go back to sleep," Tara watched as Maggie quickly ate the food and drank half the water.

"Now, come here and cuddle with me until I fall asleep. Then you can go downstairs for a bit," Maggie pushed Tara back so that she could lay on her, and enjoy her warmth.

"Well, I'm glad to be your pillow," Tara smiled as Maggie settled into her, covering up with the blanket.

"I love you so much. Thank you for always being there," Maggie whispered, leaning over to give Tara a small kiss.

"I love you, too. No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side," Tara promised as Maggie nuzzled into her chest, listening to the sound of Tara's heartbeat. Maggie closed her eyes, feeling completely safe in Tara's embrace.

A few minutes later, Maggie was in a peaceful slumber. Tara waited until she was completely sure that Maggie was asleep before she slowly got out of bed. She turned on the lamp that stood on the nightstand, keeping the setting on low. Tara leaned over, placing a kiss on Maggie's cheek, her fingers running through Maggie's soft hair.

Tara forced herself to leave Maggie's side before gently closing the door behind her. She made her way down the stairs and into the living room where Rick, Daryl, and Abraham were sitting, looking through the journal that they had found hidden in Aiden's room.

"Maggie alright?" Daryl asked with concern.

"Yeah, she's asleep," Tara answered as she sat down on the couch next to Daryl. She noticed how all three of her friends glanced at her with worried looks.

"What?" Tara asked as Rick sighed.

"Apparently, Aiden and his crew had some plans for Maggie. He wrote down all the details," Rick answered as Tara tore the journal from his hands, looking for the pages in question.

Tara read the sloppy handwriting that put into gory details what the pack had in mind for Maggie. Tara could feel her body tremble with fury as she kept on reading. Daryl immediately noticed how angry Tara was getting with each passing second.

"Hey...maybe you shouldn't read anymore of that," Daryl suggested as Tara threw the book down onto the coffee table. She quickly stood up and paced around the room, beyond pissed that those bastards thought they had a right to hurt Maggie just to get back at her.

"That ain't the only thing we found," Rick revealed as Tara tried to calm down.

"Yeah, apparently, the mystery fuck that Aiden dealt with was a very dangerous man. Accordin' to the journal, he was a serial killer before everythin' turned to shit," Rick replied as Tara gave him a confused look.

"A serial killer? That's some Criminal Minds shit," Tara responded, almost not believing Rick.

"Yeah, he was allegedly tried and put into prison for four rapes and murders. Must have escaped after the turn and found his way to Alexandria. Accordin' to the book, he committed a murder here a few weeks ago, and actively participated in some of the rapes. Fuckin' pervert...I can't wait to get my hands on him," Abraham growled as he made a fist.

"Fuck...this just gets more complicated. We need to find that motherfucker before he tries to go after Maggie or somethin'," Daryl added, wanting to do whatever he could to protect his family.

"Finding this guy will be a fuckin' needle in a haystack," Tara sighed. She wished she could find out who the bastard was so she could kill him herself.

"Maybe not. In the journal, Aiden wrote about how all three of them got matchin' tattoos on their wrists of a cross. We just need to find a guy with that tattoo on his wrist. There's only one tattoo artist in town, we can go talk to him in the mornin', and then talk to Deanna about what we found. I don't care if we need to pound on every door in this fuckin' town, we'll find this fucker tomorrow," Rick said in a determined voice as the others agreed with the plan.

"A matching tattoo? Fuckin' dumb asses," Tara scoffed as Daryl grinned.

"Yeah, apparently it symbolized their pack mentality," Rick shrugged, not sure he wanted to dwell into the minds of a couple of rapists and serial killer.

"So that's the plan for tomorrow. Nothin' else matters except gettin' this sick prick," Abraham announced before he stood up to go to bed. He bid the others goodnight before heading up to the room he shared with Rosita.

Rick followed suit, going up the stairs to tell Michonne and Carol about the plan for the morning. Even though Rick's group technically had two houses to themselves, everyone had opted to stay the night in one house together until their newest threat had been eliminated. Tara and Daryl watched Rick disappear up the stairs before they headed out onto the porch to smoke a quick cigarette.

"So Carol's gonna be gone for a while tomorrow to deliver some casseroles to the elderly, but she shouldn't be gone long. Plus, Eugene'll be here all day. Maggie should be alright," Daryl said while he inhaled some nicotine.

"Hopefully, we find the mystery guy and take him out for good. Deanna is gonna have to agree with us after she reads her son's journal," Tara breathed out some smoke, liking the sweet taste of the nicotine.

"Yeah...I can't wait to put a bullet in that prick's head," Daryl commented as he put out his smoke, crushing the butt with his boot.

They were silent for a few minutes while Daryl pulled out his pack of cigarettes and handed Tara another one which she gladly accepted.

"Maggie told me what happened to her during the attack," Tara revealed as Daryl looked at her, shocked.

"Fuck...I can't imagine hearin' that," Daryl said as Tara felt her eyes water a bit as she remembered Maggie's words. She quickly composed herself, puffing out some smoke.

"It was the hardest thing I have ever had to listen to. Hearing how Maggie had been hurt and treated...God, I don't know if I could handle it again," Tara admitted as Daryl wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Maggie'll be alright in time. She has you after all and the baby to look forward to," Daryl glanced over at Tara who was still quiet. She seemed like she was in her own little world.

"You gonna be ok?" Daryl asked, knowing that his friend was emotionally drained with everything going on.

"Yeah, I will be. Hopefully, we catch this guy tomorrow and not have to worry about this shit anymore," Tara replied as she put out her cigarette.

Daryl and Tara watched the stars in the clear, cool sky for awhile, both of them thinking about what they had to do in the morning. Tara could only hope that they would find the perpetrator and make Alexandria safe once again. She still had an uneasy feeling that things wouldn't be as simple as Rick's plan had made it seem. Tara prayed that Maggie wouldn't be hurt or targeted anymore by all the sick freaks that seemed to live in the community. She had no idea that things would take a turn for the worse in just a few short hours.

---

Daryl woke Tara up the next morning and they hit the ground running with Rick, wanting to find the dangerous man who was still hiding within their midst.

Everyone in their family was on high alert in case the dangerous threat came their way. They checked out every guy passing their way that matched the description that Maggie had given, looking for the telltale tattoo on the wrist.

Rick, Tara, and Daryl went to talk to the only tattoo artist in town who distinctly remembered that Aiden, Nicholas, and some other guy had came to his house, wanting matching tattoos.

"Third guy didn't say much to be honest. Didn't even say his name, but he gave me the creeps. Just somethin' wasn't right about him," Rex, the tattoo artist, told the three people gathered in his kitchen.

"Did he have black or dark brown hair? Blue or green eyes? About my height and around 25-30 years old?" Tara asked Rex, who thought it over in his head.

"Yeah! Black hair, cut short. Blue eyes. He was your height, and probably about 26, if I had to guess. He looked like a pretty straight forward kinda dude...no other tattoos or anythin'. He also complained that the needle hurt...fuckin' pussy," Rex commented.

"Anythin' else you can think of?" Rick asked the man who was full of tattoos.

"Nah. He didn't say much and the other two didn't say much about him. I hope you catch that son of a bitch though. I heard what happened to that one girl that works with Deanna. Men like that make me sick," Rex said as he shook hands with his visitors.

"Hey...can I come back in a couple of weeks and get a tattoo?" Tara asked Rex, who vigorously nodded his head.

"Hell yeah! Come by whenever. I can also retouch those tats on your arms," Rex said as he led them to the front door.

"Cool deal. Thanks for all the help," Tara replied as they said their goodbyes.

The trio walked down the stairs and quickly made their way to Deanna's house to tell her everything they had found out about their unknown subject. They had no idea that they were being watched by the man who was the center of their intense manhunt.

---

Roger knew that Rick and his group were close to catching him. It was only a matter of hours until they started to knock on every door in town, and he still had a lot of work to do to make sure that he wouldn't be positively identified.

He knew that they had found Aiden's journal. Roger had always told the idiot that writing about their crimes wasn't a bright idea but Aiden argued that it helped him relive the assaults. Now, Deanna and everyone in town would soon know that a dangerous serial killer was loose in their community. Fortunately, they didn't know his true identity and that worked in his favor.

Roger's plan was simple - kill the only person who could positively identify him. He knew that once Maggie took a look at him that all the memories from the party would come rushing back to her. Roger knew he would be killed on the spot if that happened, and not even Deanna would bother saving him.

So Roger had to kill Maggie, and leave town as soon as possible. He was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to take his time with her because the woman was beautiful, and almost like a trophy to him. But Roger would fight his urges, and make it quick. By the time Tara and the others figured out that Maggie was gone, it would be too late.

He would leave Maggie's body in an empty house, and then escape town through the back wall. Roger would then stay away from Alexandria until the heat calmed down a bit. That would give him time to dye his hair blonde, grow a beard, and give himself a few scars. It would also give him plenty of time to burn off that stupid tattoo that Aiden and Nick had insisted that he get.

Roger estimated that two months on his own would be plenty of time for him to be away from Alexandria. Hell, Rick's groups might even be gone by then, which would make things even better. Then, Roger could come back with his changed appearance, and pretend like he had never been to the community before. He was sure he would be able to charm everyone again, and be allowed to stay. Then Roger could resume his sick crimes whenever the right victims came along and no one would be none the wiser.

Roger knew his foolproof plan couldn't fail. He just had to do the hard part first: get Maggie out of that house. He quietly made his way to Maggie's house, cutting through alleyways and backyards so he wouldn't be seen. He had the supply run van parked a few streets away in case he needed it. Roger knew that no one would think twice about seeing the van out and about, thinking that the runners were going out.

He stood behind a bush, watching the happenings of the house. He waited like a wolf stalking its prey, waiting for the right time to strike. The door opened as he watched Carol step out of the house with a bunch of casseroles in her hands. Roger knew now was the time to put his plan into action. He knew that Eugene was the only one home with Maggie, since everyone else was at their job or searching for him.

Roger ran to the van, quietly parking it between the two houses that belonged to Rick's group. From the street the vehicle was almost unnoticeable to the untrained eye, which was exactly how he wanted it. He cautiously went to the other house, knocking on the door to make sure that no one was home. No one answered which confirmed his suspicions.

He took a deep breath as he walked to the front door of Maggie's house. Roger put on his most charming smile as his friendly personality prepared to shine through. He knew that Eugene was a smart man, but he lacked common sense. Roger hoped that everything would go smoothly since he didn't want to hurt Eugene, but would if the spineless man got in his way.

Looking around to make sure that there were no witness out and about on the street, Roger knocked softly on the door. After about a minute, the door opened a crack, Eugene poking his head out.

Eugene had no idea who the guy standing on their front porch was. He looked friendly enough with an easy going, warm smile. The man held his hand out; Eugene looked at it for a second before shaking it. He still kept the door only opened a crack, prepared if the other man tried anything funny.

"Hi! I'm Adam. I'm new to Alexandria and I'm working as Deanna's assistant until her other one comes back but she needs to talk to you. It's urgent. Apparently, more of the solar panels went out and it's effecting the infirmary. But Daryl and Tara are on their way back and should be here in about fifteen minutes. So you can leave now," Roger gave Eugene an infectious smile that put him at ease some.

"I'm not supposed to leave the house until someone gets back," Eugene said as Roger just laughed.

"Like I said, Daryl and Tara are on their way. Deanna said it's very urgent after all," Roger was starting to get impatient.

"Hmmm...alright. I guess it's alright if they're on their way back. I'll go see what Deanna needs real quick then," Eugene finally gave in as Roger jumped for joy on the inside.

"Good. I'll see you there," Roger hopped off the steps and started towards Deanna's house.

When he was certain that Eugene had gone back inside, Roger jumped a couple of fences and waited, watching the front door closely. He watched as Eugene stepped out, locking the door behind him before starting the route to Deanna's house. Roger stayed still, not moving a muscle, until Eugene was out of sight.

Roger burst from his hiding spot, knowing he had to be quick before the others realized what was going on. He ran to the front door, pulling out a key and effortlessly unlocking the lock. That was an advantage of being friends with Aiden. The young man had made sure that Roger had a copy of all the keys in town. It made attacking victims a lot easier on his end.

The door opened slowly as Roger peered around, making sure that no one else was home. The house was quiet as he made his way around, making sure that he didn't bump into anything. Roger reached into his pocket, pulling out a bottle of chloroform and rag. Splashing some of the liquid onto the small towel, he slowly walked up the stairs, making sure not to make any unnecessary noise.

Roger quietly opened every door in the hallway, looking for his ultimate prize. He stopped in front of the master bedroom, the doorknob turning in his hand. The door quietly squeaked open as his eyes spotted Maggie on the bed, sleeping soundly. The predator smiled evilly as he made his way closer to his victim.

Maggie pulled the blanket tighter around her tired body when suddenly, she felt like something wasn't right. Maggie opened her eyes to see a strange man in her bedroom.

"Well, hello there, sweetheart," the man grinned maliciously as Maggie recognized him as the third man from the party.

She immediately sat up, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon against the intruder. Roger rushed to her, pinning her down against the bed.

"Oh no...sweetie. I have some plans for you," Roger placed the rag over Maggie's face.

Maggie struggled against her attacker, trying her hardest to kick Roger away, but he kept a firm hold on her. The last thing Maggie thought about was Tara, hoping she would be able see her again. Then everything went black...

---

Meanwhile, Tara was at Deanna's house with Rick and Daryl. They surrounded the older woman's desk as she looked over the journal and listened to Rick explain what the tattoo artist had revealed. Deanna had a serious look on her face as glanced around the room.

"I agree, Rick. We need to find this man today. You can start knocking on doors and interrogating men who fit the description. I will gather some more men to help you and your group with this. We will not rest until this man is caught and dealt with," Deanna said firmly as Daryl raised his eyebrows.

"Dealt with?" Daryl asked in a curious tone.

"Kill him when you figure out who he is. This man is too dangerous to keep alive," Deanna gave the small group in front of her permission to take matters into their own hands.

"I wanna help you guys also," Spencer announced his presence from the doorway.

Rick nodded his head. "Thanks, Spence. We need all the help we can get to capture this sick bastard."

"Alright, so we'll go around the neighborhood. I don't care if we have to search through every goddamn house...we're gonna find this fucker. This ends today," Tara said in a determined voice as her friends agreed.

Suddenly, Eugene strolled into the office as Daryl and Tara stared at him in surprise since he was supposed to be at the house with Maggie. Eugene was just as startled to see his friends in the office since they were supposedly on their way home.

"Eugene! What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be at the house with Maggie!" Tara exclaimed in a slightly panicked voice. She didn't want Maggie to be by herself until they had caught their mystery man.

"What?! What are y'all doin' here? I thought y'all were on the way home since Deanna needed to talk to me about the solar panels. I mean that's what he said," Eugene innocently replied, unaware of what was going on.

"He? Who's he?" Rick asked as a feeling of dread came over him.

"Deanna's assistant. Said his name was Adam, and that she needed to urgently talk with me. He also said Tara and Daryl were minutes away from home," Eugene answered suddenly aware that the man had been lying.

"When did this happen?" Daryl questioned.

"Just a few minutes ago. He came to the door and knew who I was," Eugene looked around he room, noticing that everyone was worried.

"Ok, Eugene. What did he look like?" Tara could feel her protectiveness over Maggie kick into high gear.

"He had black hair and blue eyes. About your height. Oh...and I noticed a tattoo on his wrist of a cross. You couldn't miss it," Eugene described the man as Tara's body filled with alarm.

Maggie had been left alone and the man who was a self described serial killer had been on their front porch. Adrenaline coursed through Tara's body as she ran out of the office and into the street. She ran as fast as she could to the house, hoping that she wasn't too late. Daryl, Rick, and Spencer were right behind her as they figured out that Maggie was in grave danger.

Finally, after a few minutes, Tara ran up the porch stairs to her house. She tried the front door but it was locked. Tara grew frustrated since she didn't have a key and time was being wasted. The others finally caught up to her just in time to see Tara kick open the front door, not caring about any damage that may have been caused.

"Maggie!" Tara yelled as she ran up the stairs to their bedroom with her friends following close behind.

Tara burst into the room which was empty. There were obvious signs of a struggle which meant that Maggie had put up some kind of fight.

"Shit!" Daryl cursed as he ran into the empty room.

Tara couldn't believe that Maggie was gone. Kidnapped. Her girl was in clutches of a sick bastard, and Tara had no idea where she was. Tara fell to her knees, trying to keep her emotions in check, but failing miserably. She had failed once again at protecting the love of her life, but this time the cost could be deadly.

"I wasn't here to protect her again," Tara cursed herself as she tried to keep her composure, her body shaking slightly.

Daryl knelt down next to Tara, noticing that some tears were escaping from her eyes. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, which trembled with unleashed anger.

"Hey...we're gonna find her. We're gonna kill that fucker, and we're gonna find her safe," Daryl tried to get Tara to stand up, but she remained on the floor.

"I'm gonna get the rest of your group and round up some men for a search party. No house will be left unsearched," Spencer promised before he ran as fast as he could to get the rest of Rick's group.

Rick knelt down next to Tara. "Come on, Tara! You just sittin' here, blamin' yourself won't get Maggie and your baby back. Let's find this son of a bitch and make him pay. Let's go find Maggie."

Tara nodded before she stood up, tears dried, determination written all over her face. Her muscles trembled with all the adrenaline that was running through her body.

"When we find this fucker...he's mine," Tara threatened as Daryl and Rick caught sight of the intensity in her dark eyes.

"Let's find this piece of shit," Daryl muttered as they ran down the stairs, knowing that time was not on their side.

On the front lawn, the rest of Team Family and others from the community waited for instructions from Rick and Tara before embarking on the long search for Maggie and her kidnapper. Tara pounded on door after door, searching through every house, but coming up empty. She grew more frustrated as the minutes ticked on, knowing she was running out of time. Day soon turned into night as news about the kidnapping spread throughout the community.

"Hey...you and Daryl should go check out the empty houses towards the back of the community. All the doors should be unlocked. He might think that's a perfect place to lay low," Spencer suggested before he and Rick disappeared inside a house to investigate.

There were over fifty people looking for Maggie, but so far nothing had turned up. Tara and Daryl headed to the empty houses which stood dark and quiet. They shined their flashlights on the numbers of the pristine houses, before raising up their guns.

"Evens or odds first?" Daryl asked as Tara ran to the first house on the street.

"Evens," Tara simply answered as she opened the door which had the number 402 written on it.

Daryl and Tara continued to search through house after house, not knowing that they were slowly getting closer to Maggie and a killer who was slowly becoming more unhinged as the seconds ticked by.

---

Meanwhile, in the house labeled with the number 424, Maggie slowly opened her eyes, blinking away the tiredness that seemed to plague her since the attack. She realized that she was in some unfamiliar room, tied up, and on the dirty floor. Maggie tried to work against her restraints but the knots were too tight.

Suddenly, she heard a door open and heavy footsteps come down the wooden stairs. The mystery man from the party stood on the last step, a grin across his face.

"Well...you're awake. I was afraid that I was gonna have to get started without you, darling. It's almost time to get this party started. My name's Roger by the way, but don't worry, you'll be dead soon enough," Roger said in a calm voice.

"Tara will find me, you sick bastard," Maggie tried to hide the fear in her voice.

Roger just laughed. "I have no doubt that she'll find you but it will be too late when they do. You should see it. They are turnin' this town upside down lookin' for you. I'm just disappointed that I won't get to take my time with you...you sure do look delicious."

Maggie remained silent, trying to put on a brave facade. Roger knelt down next to her, moving some hair out of her face. She tried to shrink back from his touch which felt unnatural against her soft skin.

"You know the male population outnumbers the female one now? Funny, huh? It used to be the other way around, but this apocalypse has been cruel to women. In the beginning, men took advantage of them, rapin' and killin' them. They died protectin' children. Children died. You got lucky bein' in a group that values its women. I've seen a lot of groups where women are thought of less than dirt. So you should feel lucky for making it this far," Roger grinned like he was doing Maggie some kind of favor.

"Go to hell," Maggie muttered as Roger just laughed.

"You're feisty...I like that. Means you might put up some kind of fight. It's always more fun when they put up a fight. I know you'll put up a hell of a fight to save your unborn child," Roger said as Maggie looked at him with surprise.

"Yes. I know you're pregnant and I'm sorry about doin' this but Aiden and Nick left me no choice. I don't usually go after women who are knocked up since I'm very pro-life when it comes to the unborn. I voted Republican last election and even protested against Planned Parenthood once. So I'm sorry but this has to be done. Plus, I need to feel that rush again," Roger made a move to grab at Maggie.

Maggie quickly got to her feet, surprising Roger. He scrambled to grab her but not before she delivered a hard kick to his groin, bringing him down to his knees momentarily.

"You fuckin' bitch! I'm gonna make you pay for that, you slut!" Roger shouted as he forced Maggie against the wall, hands around her neck.

"Let's see how much fun this will be..." Roger sneered as Maggie struggled against him, fighting for her life.

---

Tara and Daryl met on the sidewalk after quickly inspecting the empty houses. Daryl shook his head indicating that he had found nothing.

"We just have two left on this street and then we can hit the odd numbers. You take 422. I'll take 424. Remember, if one of us doesn't come out after a few minutes, come in as back up," Tara instructed as she unholstered her gun again, flashing her flashlight on the houses.

"Alright. Be careful," Daryl ran to his assigned house, flashlight shining in the dark night.

Tara opened the front door to house 424. At first, it was quiet as she looked around the living room and kitchen. Suddenly, there was a loud thud and shouting coming from the basement. Tara was positive that she heard a scream that sounded like Maggie.

Tara felt her adrenaline kick start as she ran as fast as she could to the basement. She could only hope that she would make it time to save the love of her life...

---

Sorry...I kinda went Criminal Minds on y'all but that's what happens when you binge watch that show lol. But ok...what a sicko Roger is! Will Tara make it in time to save Maggie? Poor Maggie, just when she was startin' to cope, then this happens. Hopefully, all of this doesn't break her even more and she remains strong. And of course, Alexandria's first major threat is still on its way. Will all of Team Family survive?

This chapter's song is "A Beautiful Lie" by Thirty Seconds to Mars.

But thank you all for your lovely reviews! You guys always know how to make a gal feel special. I would definitely hug each of you if I could. Anyways, thanks for reading and all the love. Look for my other story to be updated next week. :)